The present invention relates to wearing articles for receiving bodily discharges in a direct or indirect manner. More particularly, the present invention relates to disposable diapers, diaper covers, training pants, incontinence pants or the like provided with a fixed point type fastener mechanism adapted to hold such an article about an appropriate region of the wearer's body.
It is well known to provide on respective outer surfaces of rear and front waist regions of an article in the vicinity of transversely opposite side edges of the respective waist regions with a pair of fasteners and a pair of target tape strips, respectively, so that the fasteners may be releasably engaged with the target tape strips to connect the front and rear waist regions with each other along the side edges of these waist regions (See Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 1983-203101, hereinafter referred to as “Citation 1”).
It is also well known to adopt a pair of fixed point type fastener mechanisms as a means to connect front and rear waist regions of an article along the side edges of these waist regions (See Japanese Patent Publication No. 1995-90032, hereinafter referred to as “Citation 2”). The fastener mechanism disclosed in Citation 2 comprises generally V-shaped rigid members located on both side edges of the rear waist region and generally V-shaped rigid members located on both side edges of the front waist region so that those on the rear waist region may be releasably engaged with those on the front waist region.
For the combination of fasteners and target tape strips disclosed in Citation 1, the positions at which the respective associated fastening components should be engaged one with another must be appropriately selected in the course of fastening operation. Should this positioning operation be inappropriate, it will be impossible to fasten the article at the appropriate position of the wearer's body. Consequentially, the article will slip down, resulting in leakage of bodily discharges from the leg-openings. Furthermore, if an excessive shearing force is exerted on the positions of the respective fastening components engaged with one another during use of the article, these components may be unintentionally disengaged from one another.
The fixed point type fastener mechanism disclosed in Citation 2 is certainly free from the problems encountered by the construction disclosed in Citation 1 because the positions of engagement are predetermined. However, the fastening members adapted to be engaged with each other are folded both in a generally V-shape and inevitably become bulky during use of the article. In addition to such bulkiness, these fastening members locally compress the wearer's skin. The more tightly the article is fastened around the wearer's waist, the more significantly the wearer experiences a feeling of discomfort due to the presence of these fastening members.